So what do map turtles and
diamondback terrapins have in common you ask?Speed. Explosive speed!

If you have ever encountered
a large map turtle or diamondback terrapin on landand you bent down to pick
it up, you know how fast they can be. You may have foundyourself trying to run
bent over. Speed serves them well most of the time.

Many map turtles and diamondback
terrapins are killed on streets and highwaysduring the nesting season.
Motorists are often accused of running over them deliberately.What most people don't
know is that passing a map turtle or a diamondback terrapin is likepassing a squirrel. You
just can't know which way they will go and how fast they will do it.

While adults may be too
wild to tame, map turtles and diamondback terrapinsmake good pet turtles when
raised from babies.